Improvement in dies foe foeming lettees and figuees on the edges



@Hitch grains lateat @ffice THOMAS S. HUDSGN, OF EAST CAME-RIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 76,460, dated April 7, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN DIES FOR FORMING LETTERS AND FIGURES 0N TEE EDGES. OI TYPE-BLOCKS.

TO ALL WHOM I'l MAY CONCERN: l l

Beit known that' I,l THOMAS S. HUDSON, of East Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have inventedcertain Improvements in Dies for Forming Letters, Figures, Ste., on the Edges of Type-Blocks and other pieces of.metal, for handlstamps, and for other purposes, of which the following is a full,`clea`r, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the block for vcontaining the sectional dies, into which the edge of the type-block is to be pressed to receive the desired characters thereon.

Figure 2 is a.v central vertical section, representing the type-block in place, and the piston for imparting pressure thereto in a position ready for use.

` Figure 3 is a. perspective view of one ofthe sectional dies detached.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the type-block, with its characters raised thereon.

My invention relates to that class of apparatus by which letters, figures, and other characters are produced on the edges of type-bloicks by blow or pressure, the metal block being expanded or forced out laterally into a series of sectional dies surroundingit. My invention consists in 'a series of sectional dies, of peculiar construction, with the block for supporting them, in combination with a hollow screw-nut and a piston or compresser; and also, in connection with thel above, my invention consists in a device for loosening 'and raising the typeblock (after receiving its impression) fromV the sectional dies, to facilitate its removal.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it o ut.

In the said drawings, A is a metal block, secured immovably -by screws-or otherwise to a solid bed-piece. vWithin the interior ofthe upper portion of this'bloclr i-s formed a recess or-opening, a, (fig. 1,) for-the reception of sectional dies b b 6 b, the'inner edges of which bear the design-of the letters, figures, or other characters, to be impressed-on the metaltype-block B. This type-block rests upon the cylindrical head 6, of a spindle or rod C, which extends down centrally through an openingin the lower portion of the metal block A, the head, 6, of the spindle `being carefully made to fit snugly therein, so that their surfaces-may be flush with each other. A screw-thread, c, extends from the upper surface of theblock to a point, cl, in its opening a, which then nclines inward down to a point, e, in the horizental plane'forming the surface at the bottom of the opening, upon which the lower sides of the sectional dies bear, the side of each die corresponding to the inclination of the opening from to e,`so' that when the dies are place they are brought closely together, and .form a continuous circular bandi.

The Lipper surface oeach die is horizontal fromf to g, at which point i t inclines slightly inward andi down to thc point 7L, the remainder .of its upper surface from this point (7L) being horizontal, as shown in g. 2. D is a hollow screw-nut, its thread from z' to lc fitting into the thread e to ci, extending around theinside ofthe upper portion ofl the block A, while the lower portion of thisnut is of the exact ccntormation as the upper surface of the dies when fitted together in place, the nut being turned by a wrench or'otherwise, so as to force its lower surface snugly and truly down upon the upper surface of the dies and that-oi' the block, to securely hold them in place while the piston or compresser E (passing Athrough the hollow screw-nut) is brought down upon the upper side of the type-block to Hatten it out laterally into the sectional dies to receive the desired impression. The unden side of'thc block A is cut away from its outer edge to a point a little beyond 'its cent1e,formng a slot, Z, to allow a-lever, F, to' be vibrated slightly in a vertical direction therein. Across the slot extends a b ar, @which serves as a fulcrum uponwhich the lever turns, the under side of which is cut away at n to tit the uppersurfacc of .the bar', and thus be keptupon its'fulcrum when operated. The upper end,.7, ofthe lever F rests against the bottomot' the spindle, on which the cylindrical head is formed. After the impression has been struckthe. screw-nut C is turned out ofthe block A, and the lever E being pressed down by the hand oi the operator, the circular head, 6, o f the spindle is pressed upward,therebyloosoning and raising the typefblock from its surrounding dies.v i l C'Zaz'm. What I claim os my invention, and desire to secure 'by Letters Batent, is J The.combnation of the Sectional dios b 'b :md block A, spindlefc, screw-nut D, and compresser or piston E,.and lever L, the whole constructed andarrauged substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

THOS. S. HUDSON. Witnesses:

N. W. STEARNS,

P. E. TEscHEMAcHER. 

